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SWILL CALL: BEER GARDENS IN THE CITY by Jill Singer, Kathleen Squires and Julie Besonen
Photo: Clayton Cotterell Maybe it's the recession. Maybe it's that New York finally feels ready to see some of those sidewalk-crackling summer afternoons. But nothing sounds better right now than to sit in the shade with a group of friends, drinking an ice-cold, deliciously foamy beer. Until recently, the devout pint-swillers among us had scarce options aside from trekking out to Queens to the famed Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria. But the beer-garden trend seems to have reached critical mass, with leafy courtyards and abundant taps popping up everywhere from Crown Heights to Williamsburg, and even a rumored 4,500square-foot Mario Batali–style hofbrauhaus opening next spring on a rooftop near Madison Square Park. Most of the newer beer gardens flout Bavarian conventions—some of them aren't even German—but in New York, a bottomless well of lager and a copse of actual foliage might be all the authenticity you need. Here's our guide to the best places to imbibe. —Jill Singer Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden Long known as the last original beer garden in New York City, grog fanciers crowd the picnic tables at this sprawling venue, which is especially popular on sunny afternoons. Its friends aren't only fair-weather, however, as the yard is open all year round. Czech crepes, whether savory (stuffed with chicken, spinach and mushrooms) or sweet (with strawberries and whipped cream), are the popular choice to go with the decidedly un-urban surroundings. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden also serves as a community center of sorts for the Czech and Slovak set, offering cultural events, classes for kids and regular jazz and comedy performances. Those who drink Czechvar or Dark BrouCzech fit right in. —Kathleen Squires
Photo: Clayton Cotterell
Franklin Park Say the words "beer garden in Crown Heights" and you're apt to get either a furrowed brow—the pre-gentrified area north of Brooklyn Botanic Garden isn't known for being a nightlife destination—or a knowing look that says, This has to be good. The not-quite-German beer garden opened last year inside a rehabbed hardware store and mechanic's shop, and with its laid-back vibe, Skee-Ball and foosball in the indoor annex and weekly DJ sets, it's a crowd-pleaser of a bar bound to win over both types. Inside, the decor is dilapidated chic— original whitewashed brick, tiled bars and chalkboard menus listing the two-dozen beers on tap or in bottles (think a Czech lager, an American ale with Bavarian hops, even a gluten-free beer brewed from sorghum).The food is BYO—a beer garden tradition dating back to the 19th century—so expect to find the iron and wood picnic tables lining a leafy 1,400-square-foot yard crowded with take-out containers from nearby Mexican and jerk-chicken joints. —JS
Photo: Clayton Cotterell
Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten To snag a seat at one of the 12 picnic tables crowding this Lower East Side mainstay's festive backyard patio, come early, even on weeknights.A favorite for summer-month get-togethers, Loreley has also been catching overflow from across-thestreet neighbor Freemans since that perennially packed hotspot opened in 2004. Inside, though, patrons still get the full beer-hall effect. Named for a Rhine river siren who lured sailors to their deaths, Loreley evokes the traditional hofbrauhaus with its slatted wooden seats, backlit wood banquettes and a menu brimming with Bavarian specialties, like herring in cream sauce or goulash with spätzle. Twelve draft beers, heavy on the Hefeweizen, are available in tall, slender glasses; half- or one-liter steins; or, in the case of kranz Kölsch, 11 narrow 0.2-liter glasses that arrive on a circular tray— meaning that no matter where you sit, you'll be surrounded by a boisterous crowd leaning in for another "Prost!" —JS
Photo: Clayton Cotterell
Studio Square So what if it rains—Studio Square has plenty of indoor space to keep you covered while downing mugs of beer (there's more than 15 domestic, imported and craft beers on draft), bratwurst, pulled pork, souvlaki and jumbo soft pretzels.There's even a sushi bar. But on a proper summer night, the massive outdoor beer garden is an ideal universe, laid out on a cobbled courtyard of Belgian stone. Long planked tables are interspersed with street lamps, white umbrellas and barrels that variously serve as trash receptacles and giant ashtrays. Newly planted birch trees and ivy reveal Studio Square's early growth stage, though people from Kaufman Astoria Studios and the Museum of the Moving Image are fast discovering its urban charms. Studio Square doesn't take credit cards, but there's an ATM on the premises if you run out of cash. —Julie Besonen
Photo: Phil Kline
Par t of the building itself dates back to the early 1700s. Nicolas Killmeyer bought the property in 1855; soon after, the original building was expanded, the upstairs was converted to a hotel and a gorgeous mahogany bar was built. So even though the current owners took it over in 1995, there's a great sense of nostalgia built into this Staten Islander.The festive hofbrauhaus atmosphere inside—with wood paneling, steins galore and a tin ceiling—spills outside into the beer garden. More than 100 beers, like Spaten Dunkel or a berry-tinged Berliner Kindl Weisse, see to it that patrons' thirst is slaked.The terrific wurst platter, with bratwurst, knockwurst and weisswurst plumply sitting on a plate with red cabbage and sauerkraut; crisp potato pancakes; and live oompah band especially add to the Bavarian spirit. —KS
Photo: Malcolm Brown
Radegast Hall & Biergarten This former candy and tobacco warehouse turned Williamsburg watering hole is a spirited marriage of old and new, just like the Brooklyn neighborhood it calls home. A brooding main room—with a snaking bar, dark wood beams and iron chandeliers updated with trendy Edison bulbs—sits alongside a cheerful skylit annex, with communal tables, wooden cask trash cans and a retractable roof that lets the breeze in on balmy evenings. The kitchen, open every day except Monday, balances traditional fare, like spinach-stuffed blintzes, with upmarket staples, such as grilled trout with tomato-and-basil salad. Radegast's main draw, though— besides the dozen-and-a-half bottles from Germany and 12 beers on tap—is its sausage grill: made-to-order venison, plump kielbasa, two kinds of wurst, turkey and beef burgers for the less adventurous and veggie options like a portobello mushroom sandwich with arugula and aioli, all served with bread or fries and a heaping scoop of sauerkraut. —JS
Photo: Clayton Cotterell
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